| The job of a fire marshal in the United States is | | | | him." |
| often like the job of a private investigator: thankless | | | | A government official, a mysterious fire, a political |
| and fascinating. But a private investigator's role is | | | | radical, a confrontation. In most situations, this would |
| usually punitive: figure out who's scamming the | | | | be a clear opportunity for power and authority to |
| insurance company, say, or where the ex-convict | | | | assume their roles, for the government official to |
| who broke parole ran to. A good fire marshal, on the | | | | make clear, punitive statements. But that's not what |
| other hand, never forgets one critical rule: fire safety | | | | Maldonado--a fire marshal, after all, did. |
| comes first, no matter what. | | | | "To the person or persons responsible for this crime I |
| Paul Maldonado, fire marshal for the State of Texas, | | | | would like to relay a message," said Maldonado in the |
| was called in to investigate the recent fire at the | | | | same conference. "We are concerned with your |
| Austin mansion of Governor Rick Perry. In retrospect, | | | | safety." |
| it must have seemed inevitable that the building | | | | He went on to explain: the video footage showed a |
| would be targeted for arson. Perry, former lieutenant | | | | man with some experience throwing incendiary |
| Governor under President Bush, inherited much of the | | | | devices. Fire is a terrible thing to experiment with, |
| ill will that the student population in Austin held for | | | | warned Maldonado. The arsonist chose a dangerous |
| the Texas Republicans, and his reign as Governor | | | | means of sending a message to the |
| was marked by occasional scandal and a rising | | | | governor--dangerous not only to the mansion, but to |
| discontent among the electorate. The 2007 | | | | the arsonist. And more: Maldonado said that he |
| announcement that the Governor's mansion would be | | | | appreciated, above all, the willingness of the arsonist |
| remodeled to the tune of $10 million--including a | | | | to wait until the Governor was away, until the |
| state-of-the-art fire suppression system--must have | | | | mansion was deserted, to set his fire. |
| been, in retrospect, the last straw. On the night of | | | | "We will not forget that," the fire marshal said. |
| June 8, 2008, that straw burst into flames. | | | | The investigation goes on, of course. But what it |
| Maldonado and his video surveillance team knew who | | | | reveals about the investigator is almost more |
| the suspect was--roughly, of course. He fit the | | | | fascinating than the eventual identity of the culprit. |
| established profile: young, twenty-something, athletic. | | | | It's rare to find a public official who truly concerns |
| Angry, even. In a press conference, Maldonado | | | | himself with what's really important in criminal matters: |
| proposed that this anger was the cause of the arson. | | | | the threat to public safety, and the value of human |
| He might be angry "at the death penalty-- and other | | | | life. It takes a fire marshal, in the end, to say that he |
| political issues," Maldonado said. "His feelings of anger | | | | appreciates his quarry for valuing human life. |
| and frustration will be noted by people who know | | | | |